Automatic pipe-line coupling for cars.



G. W. K-UEHN.

AUTOMATIC PIPE LINE COUPLING FOR CARS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 6, 1913. 1,098,269. Patented May 26, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

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Fee-er UNITED srrArEs rgrrnnr OFFICE.

GEORGE'W. KUEHN, or PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT n'fib MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, T0 KUEHN AUTOMATIC PIPE mm: COUPLER COMPANY, A.

CGRIE'ORATION OF DELAWARE.

AUTOMATIC PIPELINE COUPLING FOR. CARS.

Patented May 26, 1914.

Toall whom it may-conoern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE \V. KUEHN, a citizen of the United States residing at Philadelphia, inthe county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in Automatic Pipe-Line Couplers for Cars, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to pipe line couplers for railway cars, the object of the invention being to provide simple and eflective means whereby the steam and air pipe lines of railway cars, tenders and locomotives may be automatically coupled together simultaneously withthe coupling of the cars themselves, without requiring any attention on the parts of the train attendants.

WVith the abovegeneral object in view, the invention consists in the construction, combination and arrangement'of parts, as will hereinafter be more fully described, illustrated and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings :-F igure 1 is a side elevation of the coupling device of this invention shown applied to the ordinary coupler head. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section through two of the coupling heads of this invention showing their coiiperative relation when brought together. Fig. 3 is a central vertical section through one of the couplers on an enlarged scale. Fig. 4 is an end elevation of the coupler. Fig. 5 is a vertical cross section on the line 55 of Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawings 1 designates the usual coupling head now in common use on railway cars, tenders and locomotives, and 2 the usual drawbar.

In carrying out this invention I employ a support designated generally by the refer ence character A, said support being in the form of a bracket which is secured to the bottom of the coupler head 1 by means of bolts or screws 3 as best illustrated in Fig. 3. The support or bracket A comprises a vertical web portion or body 4 which is formed with a vertical slot 5 to admit of the up and down movements of the steam and air pipes the terminal or end sections of which are shown at 6, 7 and 8. Extending outwardly from the body 4 are upper and lower arms 9 and 10, respectively, which as shown are in spaced relation to each other and-are set sufficiently far apart to admit of the necessary vertical play of a hollow or chambered coupler head 11. The head 11 is closed on all sides, the back plate 12 thereof being detachable and held in place by means of cap screws 13 or the equivalent thereof for the purpose of giving access to the interior. of the head 11. The front wall 14 and the back plate 13 are provided with horizontally al-ined sets of openings 15 and 16 to slidingly receive the pipes 6, 7 and 8 above referred to and each of said pipes is provided adjacent to its forward end with a fixed collar 17 against which presses the forward extremity of a coiled expansion spring 18 the rear extremity of which bears against the back plate 12 as clearly shown in Fig. 3.

The head 11 is supported for vertical movement upon vertically extending guides 19 which connect the upper and lowerarms 9 and 1 0 above'referred to. These guides 19 are preferably in the form of'bolts provided at their upper ends with heads 20 and at thelr lower ends with nuts 21 and jam nuts 22. The construction referred to adapts such bolts to be removed from the support,

from which the head 11* may also be removed. Encircling the guides 19 above and below the head 11 are coiled centering springs 23 which are interposed between the head 11 and the upper and lower arms 9 and 10 as shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 5. These springs serve to sustain the head 11 in an approximately central position between the upper and lower arms 9 and 10 while permitting said head to yield vertically so as to be coupledto acorresponding head carried by the adjacent end of the adjoining car.

The head 11 is provided at one side with a projecting tongue 24 which is made tapering or wedge-shaped as shown in Fig. 2 while at the opposite side a complemental tongue receiving socket 25 is provided to receive the tongue 24 of an abutting head. When the two heads are brought together as shown in Fig. 2, the tongues 24 of the heads enter the sockets 25and by reason of the wedge-shape of said tongues, the two heads are centered laterally with respect to each other, while the springs 25 yield to permit one or both of the heads to move vertically for the same purpose.

Each of the pipe sections 6, 7 and 8 is provided at its projecting extremity with a recessed cap 26 in which is inserted a flanged protruding gasket 27 of rubber or like material so that when two sections are brought together a tight joint will be obtained between said gaskets. In order to adapt each of the pipe sections 6, 7 and 8 to yield inwardly during the coupling operation and while the train is in motion, each of said pipe sections is connected to the main pipe line 28 as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 by means of a link section 29 which has a jointed connection at both ends as shown at 30 and 31 with the pipe line 28 and the respective terminal section 6, 7 or 8 as the case may be.

82 designates a stop cock for each of the pipe lines.

From the foregoing description it will now be understood that the terminal pipe line sections 6, 7 and 8 are thrust outwardly by means of the springs 18 so as to insure a tight connection between the abutting ends of adjacent sections and that the head 11 which carries said pipe sections is yieldable vertically on the guides 19 and is automatically centered by means of the springs 23 which permit the head to yield vertically in order to eflect an automatic line-up and coupling of adjoining heads and the terminal pipe line sections carried thereby. The construction described provides for the automatic coupling together of the pipe line sections thus doing away with the necessity of a train attendant going between the cars.

\Vhat I claim is 1. The combination of a support embodying upper and lower arms in spaced relation to each other, vertical guides extending between said arms and fastened thereto, a pipe line supporting head mounted for vertical movement on said guides, head-centering springs encircling said guides above and below said'head and interposed between said head and said arms, and horizontal springpressed pipe line sections carried by said head.

2. The combination of a support embodying upper and lower arms in spaced relation to each other, vertical guides extending be tween said arms and fastened thereto, a pipe line supporting head-mounted for vertical movement on said guideahead-centering springs encircling said guides above and below said head and interposed between said head and said arms, horizontal springpressed pipe line sections carried by said head, and centering tongue and. socket elements on said head.

3. The combination of a support embodying upper and lower arms in spaced relation to each other, vertical guides extending between said arms and fastened thereto, a pipe line supporting head mounted for vertical movement on said guides, head-centering springs encircling said guides above and below said head and interposed between said head and said arms, and horizontal spring pressed pipe line sections carried by said head, said head and its guides being detachable from said support.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE W. KUEHN.

Witnesses HELEN Gr. DALEY, NORMAN J. SMITH. 

